The Labor enquirer., 1887-10-29

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crimes Of tyrants against the peo-
pie and their liberties the world
over.
No matter whether it Is il the
realms Of the car or in the United
States of America it still remains
a fact that wherever police and
military have absolute authority
to bludgeon, shoot and kill the
common herd, there The ffoplt do
not g00e,u. There, are practically
all the elements of absolute des-
potism; no matter whether the
form Of government is called a
democracy or a plutocracy.
1t cannot alter the logic of the
reasoning or the sense of the ar
gument to say that New York
City isunder a different govern
ment TO that in authority over St.
Petersburg or Berlin. If the po-
lice can in this country with
impunity suppress an orderly
meeting of American citizens and
bludgeon them into insensibility,
then | ask in the name of consist
ency what is the difference be-
tween the Russian and American
systems of government? Brute
force rules in both places. Wealth
and inhumanity are in control, and
welding a despotic scepter whose
power is upheld by laws made to
strangle the natural impulses Of
men towards freedom.
1t is no misstatement to say
that the police and military of our
own country have as CORY record,
during the last decade especially,
as have any other band of hired
law-breakers and uniformed thugs
in the world. Pittsburg, in II,
the Hooking Valley in '7S, the
lumber regions in '7o, the Penn
sylvsfa coal fields in 80 and SC
on dogp to the murderous harvest
gleanA by the police and military
at EAT Saint Louis and the
slaughter at McCormick's during
the year past. What a bloody de-
cade it has been!
Why has it been dyed with the
blood of hundreds of the workers
of this Republic7 Because the
people do not govern themselves
Because the whole machinery ol
our government is absolutely un'
der the control of the same b0aVe,
that rules in Russia and the othel
despotisms of the Old World
That power is the power of organ
lied and concentrated wealth
Where in the history of police
brutality towards the common
people can there be found a more
murderous piece of work thar
the outrage committed in the city
of New York few days ago7
Russian or other police cannot
nor have they ever taken
the liberty and lives of citizen.
with more of an utter disregard fol
law or right than did the murder
Gus New York police in Unior
square two weeks agolast evening
Without cause of any degree what
ever those supposed guardians o
the law attacked meeting o
peaceable citizens who had gath
cred to discuss a political ques
ton. With brute force the polio.
clubbed and maltreated the citi
zens who had come together in ar
orderly and peaceable manner
No act to justify the police in in
terfering with the people was com
mitted; not the slightest excuse
upon which to base justification
of the bludgeoning of the people
at the meeting; yet, notwithstand
ing that these are admitted facts
and notwithstanding the further
fact that the police authorities dc
not even condescend to investi.
gate the outrage. the press of the
country, that is the mouthpieces
of the powers that be, the domi'
nant, ruling, capitalist class, does
not deem Il worth lie while ia de.